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You Don't Get What I Said.If you think those planes won that war by themselves, I don't know what to tell you. Those bombs may have spared us further ground casualties, and the need to invade Japan directly, but I can guarantee you the bombs were only one of several factors involved in the surrender decision. This has been thoroughly documented by Toland and, more recently, Richard Frank.
If I "overreacted", it's only in service to historical accuracy, which I deem far too important to let such an inaccurate statement go unanswered.
Do you really think that had we or UK possessed nuclear weapons, that a.) we would not have used them or b.) Germany would not have capitulated when confronted with potential of near extinction? Without further ground campaign?Of course technically you are correct, Japan did surrender after the dropping of the Atomic bomb. However, both Germany and Japan suffered the most hideous pounding and I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths. Even then, Germany didn't surrender until they were overrun by ground forces and Japan were finished. There are good grounds for believing that Japan could be starved into surrender with or without the nuclear bombs.
I'm curious. Who is 'the world'? Russia/China teaming up with EU/rest of NATO? The only force to enforce restraint would be if Republicans and Democrats joined in an impeachment with enough GOP to attain 2/3 in the Senate.There is no way the world would let the USA and Israel batter Iran as Germany and Japan were hit, besides it would take too long.
Iran will not close the shipping lanes for two weeks. China's economy is far weaker than US. EU economy is far weaker. Both are in severe conditions due to lack of cheap energy. Russia can save EU if shipping is stopped. You think that the EU will turn to Russia in order to confront US?All Iran has to do is keep the shipping lanes closed for a couple of months, the economic damage would be substantial and the impact on public pressure in the world, in the USA and Israel overwhelming. Iran doesn't need to get involved with dirty bombs although that is a realistic option for them.
North Vietnam didn't fold and Hanoi didn't glow in the dark.N Vietnam can also be added to the list of countries that were seriously hit by airpower and didn't fold. They were brought to the negotiating table when the coast was mined and starvation became a threat, but the USA and Israel don't have that length of time.
You may rest secure in your belief system that Hiroshima/Nagasaki were not the deciding factors based on your opinions of Toland and Frank's works.
The only case you can make is the parallel universe in which Hirohito decided to agree his general staff and continue on after August 14th.
The controlling factors were the two bombs. A decision to fight on Guaranteed that the Soviets would invade and the Allies would invade and that perhaps casualties would rival the Eastern Front with All of Japan over run.
Make your case.
If anyone thinks that it will end on April 11th, or that the Straits will be open on the 11th, they are kidding themselves. Iran has no serious need to open them and every reason to keep them closed.
It takes time to restart a refinery and a number of them are being damaged, repair will take time.
I was remined of a comment that Bomber Harris made in WW2, 'People say that you cannot win a war by bombing them. I said we don't know, no one has tried it'. Well he certainly tried it and the result as we all know was that it couldn't be done. It took boots on the ground.
The only possible conditions which should be acceptable for cease fire should be to surrender all enriched nuclear fuel, all centrifuges, complete and unfettered access by UN, Israel and US anywhere in Iran at any time. The US in turn would have to agree with non-interference of their domestic affairs, remove the sanctions.
One can hope.
Of course technically you are correct, Japan did surrender after the dropping of the Atomic bomb. However, both Germany and Japan suffered the most hideous pounding and I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths. Even then, Germany didn't surrender until they were overrun by ground forces and Japan were finished. There are good grounds for believing that Japan could be starved into surrender with or without the nuclear bombs.
There is no way the world would let the USA and Israel batter Iran as Germany and Japan were hit, besides it would take too long.
All Iran has to do is keep the shipping lanes closed for a couple of months, the economic damage would be substantial and the impact on public pressure in the world, in the USA and Israel overwhelming. Iran doesn't need to get involved with dirty bombs although that is a realistic option for them.
N Vietnam can also be added to the list of countries that were seriously hit by airpower and didn't fold. They were brought to the negotiating table when the coast was mined and starvation became a threat, but the USA and Israel don't have that length of time.
The point I was trying to make is that the damage inflicted on Iran is but a fraction of the damage inflicted on Germany, Japan and Vietnam and in order Germany didn't surrender until troops were on the ground, Japan didn't surrender until they were starving and under fire from Atomic bombs, Vietnam didn't surrender at all.Do you really think that had we or UK possessed nuclear weapons, that a.) we would not have used them or b.) Germany would not have capitulated when confronted with potential of near extinction? Without further ground campaign?
Economically the world is intertwined to an extraordinary degree and no country, not even the USA can stand alone. It may think it can, but it cannot. What happened to the UK and France when they took the Suez Canal may well happen to the USA.I'm curious. Who is 'the world'? Russia/China teaming up with EU/rest of NATO? The only force to enforce restraint would be if Republicans and Democrats joined in an impeachment with enough GOP to attain 2/3 in the Senate.
Who is going to stop Iran closing the shipping lanes for Two months, its approaching two weeks and I see nothing changing. Russia re doing well out of the crisis so they won't. China is too far away and doesn't have the resources in place, so they won't. The EU and UK are against the whole war and will not assist in clearing the lanes, which leaves the USA who initiated the who debacle in the first place and have so it seems, no plans in place re what to do about clearing the lanes or escorting the shipping.Iran will not close the shipping lanes for two weeks. China's economy is far weaker than US. EU economy is far weaker. Both are in severe conditions due to lack of cheap energy. Russia can save EU if shipping is stopped. You think that the EU will turn to Russia in order to confront US?
Iran will not close the shipping lanes for two weeks. China's economy is far weaker than US. EU economy is far weaker. Both are in severe conditions due to lack of cheap energy. Russia can save EU if shipping is stopped. You think that the EU will turn to Russia in order to confront US?
Oh yeah ... but that was last week....But didn't Medvedev already threaten the UK with "dire consequences", "potential retaliation" and a thinly veiled mention of a nuclear strike already?
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You Don't Get What I Said.
I KNOW THAT THE BOMBS WERE ONLY TWO OF SEVERAL AND SEPARATE FACTORS - but they were THE deciding Factor. They were the single factor, however which enabled the Japanese to Surrender with a vestige of honor rather than bring on what they perceived to be an honorable death for themselves and possible extinction event for their race.
I replied, and believed correctly, that WWII WAS ended by airpower delivering two nuclear weapons, and further that the specter of extinction perceived by Hirohito due to a campaign of nuclear weapons- was far greater than napalm from the air and troops on the ground.
You may rest secure in your belief system that Hiroshima/Nagasaki were not the deciding factors based on your opinions of Toland and Frank's works. The only case you can make is the parallel universe in which Hirohito decided to agree his general staff and continue on after August 14th.
The controlling factors were the two bombs. A decision to fight on Guaranteed that the Soviets would invade and the Allies would invade and that perhaps casualties would rival the Eastern Front with All of Japan over run.
Make your case.
Ah yes, quite right.Oh yeah ... but that was last week....![]()
If you go through non US newspapers covering the weeks before the bombs were dropped you will find items on how Japan was seeking peace on the sole condition that the Emperor was spared.
There is no way theworldstock markets would let the USA and Israel batter Iran as Germany and Japan were hit, besides it would take too long.
...If you go through non US newspapers covering the weeks before the bombs were dropped you will find items on how Japan was seeking peace on the sole condition that the Emperor was spared.
After the bombs were dropped Japan made an unconditional surrender and got exactly what it had asked for before the bombs were dropped.
There is a case that some make that the only difference the bombs made was to prolong the war until they were used forcing the Japanese to go unconditional.